Fifa payment was a mistake - Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer has described a payment sent to FIFA while he was
head of Germany's 2006 World Cup organising committee as a mistake,
but rejected claims it was made to buy votes.
Beckenbauer – who won the World Cup as a player and coach with West
Germany – had an investigation launched against him by FIFA's Ethics
Committee last week.
The 70-year-old admitted a payment had been made by the organising
committee during the bidding process for the 2006 competition, but
insisted it was in return for a financial grant.
After a hearing with the German Football Association (DFB) Beckenbauer
released the following statement:
"Today there was [a] hearing in Munich, when I have answered all
questions from the [DFB] commission.
"It is important for me to clarify the following: There were no votes bought
in order to get the nod for the 2006 World Cup.
"[And] in order to get a subsidy from FIFA [for the organization of the
2006 World Cup] those involved went ahead with a proposal from the
FIFA finance commission that in today's eyes should have been rejected.
"I, as President of the then-organizing committee, bear the responsibility
of this mistake."

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